


Happy Birthday!

by NixtheSixth



Category: Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Poly, F/M, Nobody Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:07:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21817129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NixtheSixth/pseuds/NixtheSixth
Summary: Dulcinea invited everyone to the 7th to celebrate her birthday. There's just one person she'd like to see a little more than the others.
Relationships: (Background Camilla Hect/Dulcinea Septimus), (Background Camilla Hect/Palamedes Sextus), Dulcinea Septimus/Palamedes Sextus
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Happy Birthday!

**Author's Note:**

> The age difference between Palamedes/Dulcinea is much smaller in my universe. It doesn't matter very much, but it's assumed that if she's 25, he's a least 21. Brass tacks; they can be full adults together.

_I'd rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special_

\---

Camilla Hect lightly drummed her fingers against the piloting array in front of her and inwardly sighed as she waited. She wasn't used to the Seventh's air control tower being quite this busy, but Dulcinea _had_ invited everyone for her 25th birthday, so maybe it was to be expected. 

Cam glanced over her shoulder and found Palamedes exactly where she had left him; curled up in a passenger chair, deeply asleep, the book he had been attempting to read tented on his chest where he had dropped it. 

He _never_ slept before these trips, despite every genuine assurance that he would; both to himself and any house member who dared to ask.

Turning back to the control array, Cam snickered to herself. It wasn't his fault, really; he had always been a moonlighter when stressed and he could be so awfully... _cute_ when sleep finally struck him. 

Still, the visit wasn't an entirely social one and Cam desperately wanted to get him and her and anything else suddenly added to the Sixth contingent settled and hunkered down before they had to begin official house duties. 

Palamedes' meetings with Dulcinea wouldn't be so bad, but her father... ugh...it was only Cam's position as House Cavalier that let Palamedes beg her into listening to _that buffoon._

Cam was busying herself by imagining all of the insulting epitaphs one might have for Dulcinea's dear father ( _Lord Highest Windbag in the kingdom of Shut The Fuck Up-Tom,_ for example), when the radio above her finally crackled in response. 

"Rhodes Control Tower to _Reason_ : _Reference_ ; come in _Reference._ "

Cam pushed the little red button above her head that would allow her to reply and tried to speak quietly, " _Reference_ here; go ahead."

"We apologize for your wait; your usual landing pad has been overwhelmed with visitors," the little radio crackled, "We are sending your coordinates now for your alternate location. Please confirm coordinates and begin your descent."

The control array dinged as the new coordinates registered and Cam gave them a quick once over. She had landed there before, when she and Palamedes had first begun these trips, before Dulcinea's father had insisted they use the "regular" landing pad intended for house guests. 

Cam debated for a minute whether she would input the coordinates and let the computer do all the work or whether she would fly it in manually. The computer was good, but if Seventh airspace was as crowded as she feared, it would be hard to make necessary adjustments on the fly. 

Right as she was about to click the button back for Control, she was nearly spooked out of her skin when Palamedes hooked his chin over her shoulder and asked, "Problem?"

He rubbed at his eyes and peered down at the coordinates as Cam tried to slow her thundering heart. She hadn't heard him even _move_. 

"No," Cam breathed, "We just got bumped from our usual spot because of the influx of people. Assuming our landing pad connects to our rooms, we're actually in Dulcinea's wing this time."

Cam met him with a grin, "Her father is going to be _thrilled._ "

Beside her, Palamedes groaned softly and slumped into the copilot's seat. "Ugh, why did I let her talk me into this?"

Cam turned back to the control array thoughtfully, "Hmm... because you love her, it's her birthday, and all she has to do is snap those pretty little fingers and you come running?"

Palamedes rubbed his eyes again and stared at her in mild disbelief, "You've got quite the mean streak today."

"Do I? Oh, I guess you maybe shouldn't have kept me up all night then," Cam replied, grin nearly consuming her face and she hit the button back for Control, " _Reference_ to _Rhodes_ ; ready to begin manual descent!"

"At your leisure, _Reference_."

Palamedes shook his head at her as he turned to his own control array, monitoring their landing process. "Are you going to need help?"

"Not unless some little schooner gets under our feet. Just keep an eye on the radar." 

He did, and after a quick break in atmosphere that made both their ears pop, they landed with minimal fuss. Cam would never admit it, but she did have genuine skill as a pilot. 

They were in the middle of loading two weeks worth of their belongings onto a hover cart Cam had secured for just such purpose when Cam heard the soft patter of running footsteps and turned with a smile. 

Cam tapped Palamedes on the shoulder so he would turn to the noise and gently took the bag he was holding out of his hands. " _Incoming!"_ was all the warning she gave. 

" _Palamedes!"_ Dulcinea squealed as she threw herself full-bodied into his arms. In less sophisticated terms, one might even call the gesture a _glomp._

It was only from years of play fighting practice with Cam that kept Palamedes on his feet as he tried to hold and balance the _aggressively_ affectionate brunette in his arms. 

This was mildly helped by Dulcinea linking her ankles together behind his back and trying to use his hips as a minor place setting, but also then immediately ruined by her attempts to kiss all the skin she could reach from the collar of his shirt and above. 

She peppered his face in butterfly kisses before catching his mouth and kissing him like she wanted to crawl into him. Cam obligingly steadied the cart against Palamedes' back so Dulcinea's efforts wouldn't topple them both to the floor. 

When Dulcinea ran out of air, she pulled back a little, reluctant and breathless, but also beaming.

Her smile enveloped her entire face and she looked at Palamedes like he had hung the stars themselves in the sky. 

Finally able to breathe again himself, Palamedes laughed and shifted the majority of her weight into one arm so he could adjust his glasses with his free hand. "Good morning to you, too!"

Dulcinea giggled prettily for him and snuggled into his shoulder for a moment. When Cam quickly snickered in turn, Dulcinea's head shot up and she stared at Camilla like the cavalier had suddenly appeared out of thin air. 

Cam watched the thoughts leading to recognition flood over Dulcinea's face and at last, Dulcinea cheerfully cried, " _Cam_!"

That, more than anything, made Camilla burst out laughing. She knew Dulcinea's reaction was genuine; she hadn't meant to snub Cam in the slightest; Dulcinea honestly hadn't seen her in her tunnel-minded pursuit of Palamedes. 

Before any of the trio could say more, they were met with thundering footsteps and the sound of a loud, shrill voice bellowing, " _Lady Septimus!!"_

Dulcinea paled and briefly tried to curl into Palamedes’ shoulder. As the footsteps grew closer, however, she sighed and gestured to him that she would like to be put down. Palamedes obliged her, but still offered his arm as a brace when she wobbled on her feet. 

Protesilaus, still one the largest people, male or female, Cam or Palamedes had ever encountered, and a nursemaid abruptly halted in front of them, panting and stumbling over their words. They were both heavily flushed and the little nursemaid (even shorter than Palamedes) looked nearly purple in her rage. 

The nursemaid gave the tiniest courtesy to Palamedes and Camilla and then rounded on Dulcinea, fury ringing in her voice, " _Lady Septimus! I ought to tan your hide! Running off like that! What were you thinking?!"_

Dulcinea's face hardened and she straightened her spine even as she pressed one hand to Palamedes' arm, "Do not chastise me as if I were a child, Mary-Anne; I knew _exactly_ what I was doing and if there are consequences for my actions, then _I_ will pay for them."

The little nurse looked like she wanted to forcibly shake Dulcinea, " _But the risk!"_ she insisted. 

Dulcinea took a deep breath as if to continue her side of the argument, but Palamedes put his other hand over hers where it rested on his arm and asked, "What risk?" 

When he didn't get a response from anyone present, he side-eyed Dulcinea and softly asked, " _Cinny_ , what did you do?"

Dulcinea blushed prettily and looked away from him, worrying her bottom lip. 

Protesilaus huffed indignantly and gruffly said, "I'll tell you what she did; she spent all morning glued to the air traffic control radio and soon as she heard that your ship broke orbit, she took a hit off her inhaler like she was trying to spawn an extra lung and bolted down here as fast as her little legs would carry her."

Dulcinea flinched when Palamedes' hand reflexively spasmed around her arm. She had the grace to look embarrassed and sounded apologetic when she said, "Oh, come now, Pro, you make it sound so _dramatic._ "

Protesilaus crossed his arms and glared down at his charge; "I haven't seen a woman move like that since my grans were fightin' over the last biscuit in a tin!"

Camilla slid behind the cart as she tried to cover her sudden giggle fit as coughing. Palamedes sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes under his glasses before pinching the bridge of his nose. 

"Dulcinea…" he began, reproof laced throughout his tone. 

"What?" Dulcinea cried, turning to him and stamping a slippered foot at him, "It's my birthday and I got excited, alright?" 

She pressed herself in close to his chest and lowered her voice, "And I've _missed you_ , _damn it._ "

Palamedes sighed again, the sound both exasperated and amused, and pulled her into a hug. 

The nursemaid, Mary-Anne, watched the exchange with mild contempt and huffed, "Lord Sextus, while you're here, do try and keep her out of trouble, will you?"

The question only made Cam choke harder with laughter and after a moment of looking at one another, Palamedes and Dulcinea made the silent agreement to ignore her. Palamedes nodded sagely to the nursemaid and then linked his hands palm to palm with Dulcinea's. 

He leaned into her gently, their foreheads touching for just a moment, and then he backed away, unlocking his fingers from hers, intending to return to packing the cart. As he released her though, Dulcinea's breath caught her in her throat and she suddenly found herself overwhelmed in a coughing fit that brought her to her knees. 

There was no blood with this fit, thankfully, but Dulcinea did have to blink back several large tears that had suddenly invaded her eyes. 

Everyone moved; Palamedes reaching her first and letting her rest her head against his shoulder. She greedily gulped large gasps of air as she did so.

"That," she said softly, wheezing, "I would like to point out, had nothing at all to do with me running." 

Everyone save Dulcinea laughed, the sound more reflex than mirth, and waited for the duchess to catch her breath. 

When it took her longer than expected, Camilla slid around the cart and came to crouch in front of her, briefly taking stock of her vitals. Dulcinea responded to all of the tests well enough, but her breathing was still a little too uneven for Cam's liking, and her eyes were glassy from the coughing. 

Dulcinea's cancer had been in remission, or the closest thing she could have to remission, for a while, but Cam remembered vividly when every kiss from Dulcinea was tinged with blood; borne from fits just like these. 

Camilla looked at Palamedes and said, "I think the Lady needs a lie down for a bit. I think she'll be fine, but this much sun and excitement does seem to tax her;" here, Cam lowered her voice so only Palamedes and Dulcinea could hear, "And I know you'll want to take your own personal look, so perhaps some privacy is in order?"

Palamedes tried his damnedest to keep from smiling at Cam and his voice was mostly even when he asked, "Won't you need help getting our things together?"

Camilla shrugged, nonchalant, "It won't be the first time I've put your rooms together. Besides," she added, gesturing sweetly to Dulcinea, "this should count as House business as well as personal. You're caring for the lady we're here to see. I think that takes precedence over throwing some clothes in a closet."

Protesilaus had stepped closer to them, one hand gently resting on Dulcinea's back alongside Palamedes'. "If the Duchess is going to be under the Warden's care," he rumbled, "I can help attend to anything his Cavalier might need." 

Protesilaus and Camilla nodded at one another sharply, Cavalier solidarity, and he stood. Before Cam copied the gesture, she looked at Palamedes and said, "Better time than any to show off our new trick too, eh?"

Palamedes nodded with a grin and held his hand, palm out, to Camilla. She linked her fingers over his and closed her eyes. 

Dulcinea felt a rushing sensation along her back where her body pressed against Palamedes, like water running or a ferret running through a tube. She shivered against the sensation and breathed, "What in the world was _that?"_

Camilla sucked in sharply and paused for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, they were hazy and unfocused, but she forced herself to look at Dulcinea and smiled. "We got a trick of the Warden's to finally work. We've been testing it for a while, but it should get easier with time."

When Dulcinea stared back at her, puzzled, Cam lifted her right hand and snapped her fingers. A small tongue of blue fire appeared to rise from Cam's outstretched index finger. "He gets a little of me," Cam said, conversationally, "and I get a little of him. Careful now, that flame is real."

Dulcinea had reached out like she intended to scoop the little flame off Cam's finger, but stopped at the warning. Still puzzled, Dulcinea asked, "That is terribly interesting, but why would you need such a thing? A little of each other?"

Palamedes adjusted his grip on Dulcinea and lifted her with ease, much to everyone's shock but Camilla's. "To do stuff like this," he grinned. 

He continued, "The original idea was so that Cam could have access to various necromantic locks and the like without me. She didn't need a lot of energy and she knew the theory behind the lock as well I did; there was no reason to keep her out or force us together for something so small."

Cam snapped her fingers again to whisk the little flame away and picked up the train of thought; "And you get as much as you give; it's never one-sided. Once the connection is open though, it's not a conscious transfer. It does have a range, about 100 yards or so, but it works as long as both parties are living. We have to shut off eventually or else we start wearing the connection raw, like a getting a blister from wearing shoes the wrong size."

"Living?" Dulcinea tilted her head, "That feels like a very pointed term."

Palamedes blushed slightly and turned his head so he didn't have to meet Dulcinea's eyes, "We...uh... tested it...uh...underwater…"

His pauses didn't match what he was saying and Dulcinea peered between him and Cam expectantly. Hm?...Oh. _Oh. So he was still into... that. Hm._

Dulcinea giggled, mostly to herself and snuggled herself comfortably against Palamedes' shoulder. "I see; well, how long will this last for today?" 

"I can get you back to your room and then I'll let go of my end," Palamedes said, still not meeting Dulcinea's eyes, "If that will work for you, Cam?"

Cam also wouldn't meet Dulcinea's eyes, but she nodded and turned back to the cart with purpose. "I'll come grab you before dinner!"

\---

The walk back to Dulcinea's quarters was the most relaxed she had felt in _weeks_. The weather was warm, but just cool enough not to be overbearing. Palamedes’ grip was tight, but not heavy, and she enjoyed the knowing looks she received as they passed various members of her household. 

She was heir and he was her lover. Moreover, it was her birthday. Why shouldn't she feel like a beloved princess?

The only hesitation they encountered was figuring out exactly _how_ to enter Dulcinea's main room. There was the main entrance, obviously, but given her status as heir, there were two armed guards posted outside of it, and they would feel compelled to report her comings and goings to her father if asked. 

With much muted giggling, Palamedes finally set Dulcinea back on her feet and let her lead him through the small, secret passage that opened behind a light bookshelf in her room. Palamedes had to dislodge a board from the wrong side to get it to move, but with minimal shifting, they squeezed through and set everything back to rights. 

The main guard on the door, a man who had been with Dulcinea since childhood, pressed his ear to the door when he heard someone flop onto the bed heavily and someone giggle in turn.

He leaned away from the door and waved the other guard to walk with him to the other side of the room. They would still be around if she needed them, but a lady was entitled to her privacy, and he wouldn't even be lying to her father if asked; he _hadn't_ seen her.

He pulled out a deck of cards, shuffled them, and flicked the room's little radio on; a signal to Dulcinea that it was understood she was home and wouldn't be disturbed. If the noise cut off abruptly, she would need to act quickly. 

Her father hadn't pieced this little parcel of code out yet, but the heir of the Sixth also hadn't been around as much since becoming Warden. No matter; if he finally did manage to put it together, they'd just come up with a different one. It wasn't the first time this man had gone out of his way to keep the lady happy, and it wouldn't be the last. 

Tapping the deck on the table before he dealt, the main guard turned to his younger peer and asked, "Care to make a wager?"

\---

Inside Dulcinea's room, Dulcinea and Palamedes lay on her large bed, under the top cover, but not buried under the sheets yet. Too many things had to come off before they got there. 

They lay with their foreheads pressed together, one hand linked to the other's, enjoying the stillness for a moment. 

Palamedes reached into his necromancy where it was connected to Cam and relaxed his hold on it, like he was slowly uncurling a fist. He physically felt drained for a moment, but the return of magic always sent a shiver up his spine. It was like taking a shot of hard alcohol, but without the swift kick at the end. 

Dulcinea opened her eyes at the shiver when it met their connected palms and smiled. "Does it only work between necromancer and cavalier?"

Palamedes shook his head, "No, I've gotten it to work with some of the other necromancers in my house, but it's always different with them. With Cam, it's more like borrowing, but with them, it's more like channeling; we're all connecting power to accomplish one big thing. No real reason to do it otherwise."

Dulcinea unlinked their hands so she could push off the bed and straddle his waist. Leaning down to kiss him, she said, "I'd like to try that sometime with you while you're here, but not right now."

Palamedes smiled back at her, "Oh? What would you like to do now?"

She kissed a small pattern around his neck and made him lean his head back, "Well, it _is_ my birthday…" 

"Is that a hint you want a present?" She felt more than heard the soft laugh rumble through him. 

"Maybe," she suggested coyly, sitting back to start undoing the buttons on his shirt. 

Propping himself up on his elbows, he glanced down the length of her body and said, albeit distractedly, "I think I have a good idea of what to give you, but as pretty as that dress is, you'll have to help me get it off. I've never understood all of the damn clasps and such." 

Dulcinea rolled her eyes, amused, and reached one hand to unclasp the fastening at the base of her neck. "I assumed you might have that problem," she said, grabbing one of his hands and leading it to where her's fiddled with the clasp, "and planned accordingly. Pull."

Palamedes ran his fingers under hers, felt the zipper just beneath them and pulled. The zipper came to Dulcinea's waist and she scooted off the bed just far enough to let the dress fall off of her and then slid under the covers to snuggle against his body. 

If she had underwear, Palamedes missed it falling to the floor. He _had_ thought he felt the absence of a bra.

"Your turn," she said, idly fiddling with a button again. 

He laughed; he couldn't help it, "You had this planned out to a T."

Quick fingers making work of one button, she slid to the next, "Everything but being yelled at, yes," Dulcinea paused to roll her eyes and muttered, "I really wish that woman would mind her own business."

Palamedes took Dulcinea's hand and kissed the knuckles gently, "She's just worried about you."

Dulcinea sighed, "I'm not made of glass, Pala, and I really wish people would stop treating me as though I were. Yes, I'm ill and I have things I need to watch out for, but I am also a grown woman and I know how to manage myself. I can make my own choices and I have my own opinions." She tugged at the bottom of his shirt, "One of which being; you're wearing too many clothes to be in my bed and I want you to fuck me."

He grinned at her, but also rose to stand and start disrobing, "Oh, is that all?"

She propped herself on an elbow to watch him. "Now?"

They giggled in turn and he made quick work of all the various buttons and clasps of his own. He hesitated for just a moment, debating on folding the clothes in a fashion in the event he needed to escape in a hurry, but Dulcinea reached over and tugged one of his hands expectantly. "Jordy has the music playing and if my father really wants to bother me today, he can get an eyeful. Come on."

Resisting her for one more moment, Palamedes rifled through her bedside drawer and grabbed one of the condoms she had stashed there. Dulcinea pouted at it, but didn't protest. She had the implant chip just the same as every other girl her age did, but getting pregnant was a serious concern nevertheless. It was one of the few battles she had never been able to win with Pala.

Palamedes leaned over her long enough to stash the packet under her pillow for later, kissed her deeply, and then made a show of kissing down her body, trying to soothe the irritation he knew it caused her. 

"I believe I promised you a present?" he asked, kissing along the inside of her hip. 

Dulcinea wasn't sure what she would have said next; one moment she was idly sliding her fingers through his hair; the next, she had both legs thrown over his shoulders and vaguely saw stars. 

_God in heaven, it had been too long_.

Eating Dulcinea Septimus out was vaguely like wrestling a jellyfish, especially given that she was fond of satin sheets, Palamedes mused. She didn't make very much noise; she never had, given the state of her lungs, but be damned if she didn't _move_. 

The hardest part of it all was keeping her confined to the one place Palamedes wanted to touch her most, but sensation got the better of her and her subconscious was determined to get away from that sweet, _evil_ torture if it killed her.

After the fourth time of having Palamedes pin as much of his upper body strength as he could manage onto her waist, Dulcinea grabbed desperately at his shoulder and tried to force him further up her body. Words wouldn't come to her. 

Thoughts scrambling, she was finally able to grab a small sliver of presence of mind and she snapped her fingers in quick succession. There was supposed to be a counting system that meant something; she just prayed to all of the heavens that she had done enough to make him stop. 

The sound managed to reach him through his tunnel-minded pursuit, and he raised himself from her carefully, making sure to be near, but not actually touching her. 

Voice gone hoarse, he asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

She curled full body against the pillow in her arms and tried to get her thoughts to settle. One of them finally acknowledged he had asked a question and she nodded vigorously to him. 

She wasn't upset and never had been; but just heartbeats before, she was convinced he was going to kill her if he made her orgasm so quickly again. 

Wouldn't that be quite the headline? _Man kills local Duchess by consuming soul and number of other bits._

Moments passed, and after a few long heartbeats of feeling awkward, Dulcinea finally got enough of herself back together to look at Palamedes and she inwardly cringed at herself. 

He had folded himself up on the edge of her bed, very deliberately not touching her, face set in a troubled expression. He knew he had done something wrong, but he didn't understand what or more importantly, _why._

Dulcinea released the pillow and flung herself into his arms, kissing him deeply. She nearly pushed them off the corner of the bed, but Palamedes caught them before they could fully fall. 

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, "It's alright; everything is alright; I just got so overwhelmed. I forgot how _good_ you are at that."

Palamedes leaned forward to right them and brushed her hair back from her face, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes!" Dulcinea peppered his face with kisses in between her words, "Yes, God, I'm fine; better than fine, actually; you just scrambled my brain."

Feigning suspicion, she leaned back from him and peered into his face, "Have you been practicing? Not that you needed it, but I'm usually more grounded than that."

He blushed at the compliment and looked away from her, "You'll...uh...have to ask Cam 'bout that. It wasn't intentional, as it were."

Dulcinea hummed approvingly and led them back to the main portion of her bed. She settled the pillows into a comfortable nest and fished under them for the condom he had placed there. She handed it to him and lay back, shifting to be comfortable.

"Leave one of my hands free if you intend to make me brainless again," she said airily, "I'm not going to have enough air to tell you to stop like this." 

Palamedes paused, nibbing the side of foil to open it, "We can always swap…"

Dulcinea winked at him, "Maybe for the second round, but like you said, we had plans."

He stuck his tongue out at her, "'We?' Forgive me if I didn't feel very included during that step."

Dulcinea reached for him, clasping her hands much the way a child would ask for a doll, "Ok, ok; _I_ had plans, but I think they've worked out pretty well so far."

It took Palamedes a moment to fiddle and make everything fit the way it should; partially because Dulcinea was being delightfully distracting, but after everything was in order, he settled his weight comfortably on top of her and asked, "Only pretty well?"

She ran both hands through his hair and searched his face, "How much do you need your ego stroked today, Pala? I've already had to red card you once for your efforts. Besides, I assumed you wanted something other than _ego_ attended to? I certainly do."

He shook his head at her, shifted their position just a little, and pushed. 

Face buried in Dulcinea's hair, Palamedes mused that this part was a lot like endurance swimming. All he had to do was keep the majority of his weight off of Dulcinea's chest, find a good rhythm, and she'd tell him when she had had enough. It was easy as long as she didn't kiss him and disrupt his very calculated series of thoughts that included a whole lot of thinking about absolutely nothing. 

He had to think about nothing because if he thought about anything, he would start thinking about how good it felt to be buried in her; her hair, her body; her taste; her scent. _God in heaven, she was warm._ He would think about all the little sounds she made as they moved, her hips arching up to meet his so he was never fully outside of her. He would think about the way she ran her hands up and down his back, his ribs, and how very much he wanted her to sink nails into him until she made him bleed. 

Once those trains of thought got started, they wouldn't stop until they had smashed into one another and he didn't want it to end that soon, so he very deliberately thought of nothing at all. This first time, it wasn't about him. 

As it was with every first time for her, it wasn't about him. There would be other times as the trip went on and he could have his moment then, but all of this was solely and utterly for her. 

Under him, Dulcinea writhed and ached with a need she didn't fully understand. It felt good, _so good_ ; it always had, but she wanted, _needed_ more from him. 

Thoughts finally sinking into words, she pushed at his shoulder and got him to look at her. "Take it off," she pleaded, "Please? Just this once?"

Above her, he froze, face contorted in conflicting emotions. There were so many reasons to refuse. It was stupid. It was dangerous. 

"Pala, please?" she asked again, shifting her hips to make a point. 

Palamedes' thoughts scrambled into themselves save one; _That was rude. On purpose, granted, but rude._

His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth and he chose his words with care, "You know why we shouldn't."

Dulcinea sat up and reached her hand between them to touch him. "Palamedes," she began, trying to keep her voice calm and even, "I have the same chip as every other woman of age in my house and it's never failed any of them. It works _perfectly_. If it's going to happen, it's because fate made it happen and if that's the case, then a little bit of rubber isn't going to make the slightest difference."

He covered her hand with his, but before he could say anything, she tried one last time, "God in heaven, Palamedes, _please_ , I just want to _feel_ you. All of you."

Palamedes thought his resolve was fairly strong for a man his age, but she was right regarding the chip, and when he really thought about it, it was hard to be that selfless; to look her in the face, acknowledge the warm, naked body pressed against him, and honestly tell himself that he didn't want it; that he wasn't curious himself what it would be just between them. 

He swallowed deeply and closed his eyes; if he didn't see it, it wasn't happening, and he didn't have to acknowledge it until it was over; "Alright. Just...this once."

That was a lie and they both knew it, but Dulcinea didn't care in the slightest. She reached down, slid the offending piece of material off him, and promptly threw it off the bed without looking. She'd grab it before the maids came in. _Probably_.

When it became clear that Palamedes wouldn't take the first step even though he had agreed, Dulcinea tentatively brushed herself along the length of him and sighed with pleasure. He responded by making a noise somewhere between being punched and being choked, and his arms wobbled for a moment, but he stayed where he was. 

Dulcinea made it into a game for a little while; trying to see how far she could push him before he gave in. 

It took a full minute, but whatever last grasp of sanity he had snapped and he sank into her with a growl. 

They both saw stars and neither could speak. He wanted to be gentle; he really did, but Dulcinea felt warm to the point of almost being _hot_ and parts of him connected with her in ways he simply hadn't realized were possible before. Everything about her was driving him deeper, faster, and the sounds she made tipped him over the ledge of restraint or reason. 

Dulcinea would have been violent had he threatened stopping. She wasn't sure if she had ever felt him this big, but it was the roughest he had ever been by a long margin and she thrived on the sensation of it. She couldn't have escaped him even if she had wanted to, and all she wanted was to go over that last edge with him. 

He had buried himself in her hair and wrapped her into a hug as if she were the last solid thing in the galaxy. Neither of them could have said how long they stayed like that, but Dulcinea finally got him to turn his face and kiss her. 

That kiss made it feel as if time itself had stopped. 

Nothing, not even being stripped bare and drowning in necromancy when he had been made heir, had ever felt like that; so breathless, so light, and so very _right._

Dulcinea had to pull away for air she desperately did not want and reality slammed back into them like a tsunami's cresting wave. 

Palamedes' last thought while conscious was to roll to one side of Dulcinea and then there was nothing.

\---

Camilla idly checked her watch, closed her book, and rose to gather up Palamedes' dinner clothes. She really thought he would have been back before then, but it _had_ been a long day, and a good while since their last visit. Maybe it was to be expected. 

She knew about the back passage to Dulcinea's room; Protesilaus had been kind enough to fill her in after they had gotten the Sixth's rooms settled, but she didn't need it. The only person in the Seventh house who would protest where she was going would be _dear old dad_ and, considering she hadn't seen the Warden in a good four hours or so, she would let Dulcinea have that particular fight at her leisure. 

She waved cheerfully to the guards and paused to let them examine her bundle. 

"Here for Lord Sextus?" the elder of them asked.

Cam nodded, "And Lady Septimus, but I imagine he'll be the easier to rise."

The guard chuckled lightly, "He usually is. Let us know if you need anything." He paused for a moment, looked at Camilla with an expression she couldn't quite read, and flicked the little radio nearby on. 

Cam stared at it, then him, puzzled for a moment, and then shook her head of it and let herself into Dulcinea's room. 

Dulcinea was awake, idly reading something on a tablet with one hand, the other gently running through Palamedes' hair. He was as deep asleep as Cam had ever seen him. 

Dulcinea looked up when the door opened and smiled. "Is it already that late?"

Cam nodded and set the clothes on the edge of Dulcinea's bed. "Unfortunately," she said, looking around for the towel closest. Things had moved since she was last here.

"Oh, we finally put it in the bathroom. Can you grab some aspirin while you're in there? I think he's going to need it."

Cam started to ask why, thought better of it, and did as Dulcinea asked, gathering up aspirin and a thick, fluffy towel. She put the towel with the rest of the clothes and settled the aspirin on the nightstand with a water glass Dulcinea always seemed to have on hand. 

Dulcinea moved her hand, and Palamedes made a soft sound in his sleep. When Camilla gently shook him, he buried himself under the covers and clung to Dulcinea as if she were a favored stuffed toy. 

Dulcinea laughed softly and tried to shake him herself, but was only met with a tightened grip and a grumpier noise. 

Cam sighed, albeit good naturedly, "Warden, you have to get up. It's almost time for dinner." 

From the blankets came a very disgruntled, "No."

Cam tapped her foot expectantly, "You can either get up and get the shower of your own volition, or I can pick you up and throw you in feet first. You do it yourself, you get to be warm."

A pause, then movement. Palamedes sat up, rubbing his eyes, and half-heartedly glared at Camilla. "You are an evil woman," he said, finally. 

"And you look like hell and reek of sex, which is the only reason I'm not letting the two of you shower together," Cam said, gesturing to the clothes, "You've already gotten into quite enough mischief for the day."

Palamedes rubbed his eyes again, but he was nodding nevertheless. He held a hand out to Dulcinea for a moment, who in turn stared at him blankly, but then shook herself, reached to the nightstand, and placed his glasses in his upturned palm. 

He kissed her once, softly, and then rose to gather the items on the edge of the bed. He kissed Cam the same way as he passed, took the aspirin she had gathered for him, and nudged the bathroom door shut with his foot as he passed it. 

Cam smiled despite herself and looked at Dulcinea. "Have a good day?"

Dulcinea smiled more to herself than anything else and softly answered, "The best."

They stayed in silence for a moment, listening to the water run in the shower, and then Dulcinea looked up at Cam with a positively wicked smile, "That being said though...it _is_ my birthday."


End file.
